Wake Not Sleeping Demons
by Schingiuire Vristalica
Summary: She found him sleeping in the open, exposed within a nest of vampire slayers. Integra decided to teach her pet a lesson in paranoia. One that certainly wouldn't backfire, or so she assumed.


**Author's Note:** I've been going through my files of late and found the first several paragraphs of this lovely little idea. Decided to flesh it out and build it up just a touch. Hope you enjoy.

**Disclaimer: **No rights to anything here, cept my brain, which is sadly devoid of much as of late.

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It was so rare for Alucard to sleep anywhere but his own quarters. By nature vampires were paranoid creatures, which was compounded in the daylight hours while they slept. Most hunters sought their quarry out during the sunlit hours, for it was the time most vampires were helpless. While Alucard was a slight exception he still exhibited the same paranoia. He was incredibly protective of his coffin and demanded it be where he wished to hide it. Integra allowed him to choose his resting place, with some rules of course. She felt relatively certain if given full reign he would either bury himself in the forest somewhere or wall up a room only he could phase through.

Integra stood in the library's doorway, several files clasped against her side as she narrowed her eyes at the figure stretched out over the couch. Alucard had fallen asleep here, exposing himself to the entire estate in his weakest moments. Her own instincts as a vampire slayer were filled with glee as they were every time she stood over him while he slept. It would be so easy to put a white oak stake through his chest, hammer it through his spine and nail him against whatever material he'd chosen as his final resting place.

Smiling, Integra let him be, choosing instead to sit closer to the fire in a cushioned chair. She opened the first file, sifting through the pages as she began to read about the latest target of her organization's focus. Her own focus, however, continued to stray from the pages and back to the vampire, still as death, in his sleep. As much as he tormented her during his waking hours, the opportunity was too good to pass up.

Placing her files to the side, Integra stood and approached the fire, crouching before the flickering flames as she watched them devour wood. Her fingers wrapped around the fire poker, balancing the tool around her fingers as she poked at the coals. Alucard needed to learn a lesson about sleeping out in the open in a nest of vampire slayers.

A devious smirk danced along her face as she turned and inched close to the vampire. Alucard was a more crafty of his species. Normally he snapped awake when he sensed danger near. Not the first time she wondered if he slept with that third eye of his open. Hovering over him with the poker, she dipped the tip, letting the smouldering end lightly rest upon his chest.

The vampire gave a powerful flinch, eyes coming open as the brand over his chest lit up, mostly hidden by his clothing. A dark growl rumbled in his chest as he jerked, rolling away from her, his claws encircling the poker to rip it out of her grasp. Harsh words, half growled in a language she couldn't understand, boiled from his maw as he lunged toward her.

Integra did not move, her icy gaze hard as she relaxed her hand to allow the iron to be thrown in whatever direction Alucard had chosen for it. A slight smirk twitched at her lips, eyes narrowing as she watched her vampire lunge, teeth elongating for a kill. It was her confidence and trust in the bonds which circled him which gave her such boldness. She never felt his breath upon her, the vampire's roar transforming into a shriek of agony before he was even able to touch her. His momentum sent him into the floor behind her, and Integra turned to casually observe his writhing. Thin, clawed fingers tangled into his hair, digging into his skull as he voiced his pain. No doubt those who heard the sound would be unnerved, though Walter would know it well.

"Silence," she commanded, cool voice drowned by his cries, yet the wailing was suddenly cut short, as if his lungs would no longer fill with air.

"You should know better than to attack your master by now, vampire," Integra commented idly as she watched him continue to writhe and spasm upon the floor. He raked his claws over his torso, ripping at his own flesh in some pain induced method to ease the punishment.

While she could drop him to the floor in agony any time she felt the need to, this bought of punishment was built into the seal. She had no idea exactly how extreme it was, though it seemed only to occur at this magnitude if he attempted to harm his master. Alucard had only ever moved to attack her twice in her experience with him, this would make a third. Both times he had writhed and seized in immense pain for only a bare few moments before he was released. She had no control over this particular part of the seal, and could only watch as he was punished by way of Abraham's own design.

As from her past experiences, Integra knew once the seal released him he would be useless until he recovered, which was generally once he started moving again. Arms crossed over her chest, she waited, counting the seconds in her mind. This time seemed so much longer than before, but it had been some years.

A full sixty seconds passed before he stopped tearing at himself, laying upon his side, half curled and trembling like a stricken animal. Integra crouched beside him, brushing gloved fingers across the silken tresses of his hair, a tight smile curving across her face.

"That, nosferatu, is what happens when you sleep out in the open," her voice purred over him as he quaked beneath her touch. "You've lived among humans too long. The paranoia that keeps your kind alive is withering."

Her touches paused as a very unexpected and dangerous growl rumbled from his throat. A frown twisted her lips, fingers shifting to brush locks of hair out of his face. One large, glowing eye was locked on her, the other pressed against the library's carpet, and his lips were fully peeled back to bare an alarming array of jagged fangs.

Integra did not move, her own eyes glaring down at him and narrowing at this new development. Both times in the past, and typically when she used the seal herself, he was very quick to become docile, either sulking and retreating or eager to please. Only on very rare occasions did he express increased aggression, and certainly not after something so traumatising.

Slowly she moved, withdrawing her hand as her own upper lip curled. "I suppose you still haven't learned, have you? Ever eager to see just how far you can go in hopes of finally pushing free, right Count?" She would need to be cautious, for there was a very real chance he would lunge again. While she was not afraid of him hurting her, for he was completely unable to, she wanted him coherent. "Calm yourself before you do something you will regret." Integra's command was sharp, bitten out in a razor's edge.

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**Ending Note**: Yes, abrupt I realize. Would you like to see more? Let me know.


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